Great piece, and oh so true, Kathleen.

Speaking to your main point, it reminds me of the well-known proverb (often mentioned as African, though I don't believe it actually originated there): "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

We need to make sure there's enough of a safety net to allow people to take appropriate risks without automatically exposing themselves to crippling consequences, and to make appropriate investments in improving their skills without taking on crippling debt.